In the intermodal transportation industry shipping containers are loaded and off loaded onto and off of trains at intermodal facilities. Often the containers are transferred directly to or from container chassis. Therefore a large container facility will have a large number of container chassis available. In addition, a shipper or end consignee may enter the facility with his own tractor and chassis. The nature of the operation requires the transfer of containers from one chassis to another. This transfer operation is called a flip in the industry. Currently flips are accomplished using the general facility mobile lifting equipment, such as cranes or side loaders. It would be considered an improvement in the industry, if new systems can accomplish a flip operation without the use of mobile lifting equipment, and can universally handle 20, 40, 45, 48 and 53 ft. shipping containers. There is a need to be able to efficiently handle, accommodate, temporarily store and retrieve containers of various dimensions.
There is a need for enhanced methods of handling containers at terminals, hubs, warehouses and the like.
Thus, there is a need for the development of new technologies to improve the efficiency of container and chassis transfer operations.